About

Jamie Boudreau was born on the other side of the continent in Montreal, Quebec. Realizing that the weather and politics of Quebec were too much for him as soon as he popped out of the womb, he decided, as many before him had, to go west!

Traveling across Canada by car, Jamie has lived in, or visited, every major (and quite a few minor) cities in Canada, before he finally decided to call Vancouver his home.

Jamie has worked all over Vancouver where he ran some of the best bars that the city has to offer, and is now stationed in Seattle, Washington.

Jamie’s next call to fame was the Giffard West Cup, were he was part of the first team of three North Americans to be invited to this 50+ year event held in France. While there, he toured over 100 of Europe’s great bars, experiencing firsthand classic cocktails made in their birthplace.

Jamie most recently presided over the bar at VESSEL, an upscale bar in Seattle, furthering his quest for the perfect cocktail. Establishing VESSEL as one of the premier bars of America, he has now moved on to other ventures, helping tweak bar programs and offering international seminars, all the while preaching the gospel that is St. Germain.

He has had articles about him or his drinks published/mentioned in The Big Bang Theory (TV), Players (TV), Evening Magazine (TV), the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Time magazine, Playboy, Details, Esquire, GQ, GQ Italy, Forbes, The Atlantic, Difford’s Guide to Cocktails, Wired magazine, Wine Spectator, Imbibe magazine, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast, Saveur magazine, InStyle, Sante magazine, Men’s Journal, Class Magazine, Vancouver Magazine, San Diego Magazine, Continental magazine, Seattle Magazine, Seattle Metropolitan, Entrepreneur, Mixology, Bride & Groom magazine, Globe and Mail, enRoute, Tiki Magazine, Spirit Magazine, Market Watch, Northwest Palate, Zagat Buzz, Riviera, Vendor, Aventura, Currents, Where, Mulligan’s Bar Guide, Mr. Boston’s Bartender’s Guide (book), Left Coast Libations (book), diffordsguide, the Essential Bartender’s Guide (book), Beachbum Berry Remixed (book), Table Manners (book), Spirit Magazine, The Block, edibleSeattle (March/April), Campari International, Cheers, In the Mix, Chile Pepper, Bar Magazine, Restaurant Hospitality, Nation’s Restaurant News, Solano, Eat magazine, The Telegraph-Calcutta India, the Vancouver Sun, National Post, Seattle Times, Seattle PI, and The Stranger. Jamie was also featured in Ted Haigh’s tome, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails as one of the internet’s cocktail pioneers. He has been chosen as the only Canadian representative in 2006’s Cocktails in the Country, has been the subject of European radio stations, and was featured in an episode of The Leading Edge: Innovation in BC due to his dabbling in Molecular Mixology as well as the Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess.

In 2006 Jamie was called one of the world’s greatest bartenders by WIRED magazine. In 2007, Jamie was named Seattle Magazine’s Bartender of the Year, and in 2009 was one of the nation’s top ten mixologists, according to Playboy. 2010 brings the Cheers Rising Star award, an annual national award that goes to their top five bartenders of the year, as well as Seattle magazine’s Best of the Decade in the Drink category. In 2011 Jamie was lucky enough to be the recipient of the Gazzer, an award that celebrates the top twenty mixologists in the country. He has also recently started hosting an instructional bartending show called Raising the Bar on the Small Screen Network, for which he was a finalist in two categories at the 2010 Tasty Awards, where he won the award for Best Drink or Beverage Program on the Web. Raising the Bar has been nominated for more Tasty Awards in 2011 and 2012. Eater has also awarded Jamie Bartender of the Year in 2012.

Jamie’s influence is also developing internationally as well, as he is consulting for bars in the United States as well as leading mixology seminars in New Orleans, Prague, Vancouver, Washington, California, Oregon, Dubai, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil.

Jamie’s thirst for cocktail minutia is infamous, and if conversation turns to a subject that he is unsure of, you can be assured that he will research it as soon as possible. He has a love for the classics, but at the same time is always looking for new, exciting ingredients with which to try out new recipes.

The story continues……

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28 Responses to “About”

One time I said 50% of bartending is personality and being welcoming, the master distiller said, “naw more like 75%, And I agreed. Then I thought there’s people out there who scrutinize lemon drop recipes at various bars and maintain a bad name like Dick Butkis. You’re one of those people, who frankly make a douche bag cocktail better than anyone. Your references to Murray Stenson in your blog should end because frankly, you pale in comparison in every way. So here’s the scoop, you’re nods in Esquire magazine make you a local joke and people just don’t like you. That makes you an awful bartender according to a professional equation. Vessel? The only place in town who pours Martinis in grandmas crystal Champagne saucers. P.S we all clown on you at Zig Zag, you ain’t nobody’s friend.

Jason, I’m sorry that you feel that way, but you should realize all the facts before getting hot under the collar.
Murray and I are good friends and I have nothing but respect for him. I’ve gone out for drinks with him and have had him over to my house. We have a history of ribbing each other and giving each other a hard time, but it is always with good intentions. You’ve obviously miss-read something on this blog to become so angry. If you have any misgivings about the camaraderie between Murray and I, I suggest that you ask him as you seem to know him quite well. I would never say/write anything about Murray that I wouldn’t say to his face and I’d like to think vice versa.
As for your clowning me, I’m glad that I can be a source of amusement for you, but you should also know that I’m no longer at Vessel, so perhaps it’s time you lay off of that bar as well, and just focus your mysterious hatred on me solely.

Look, man, Dick Butkus might not have the greatest name, but the guy’s Lithuanian, so what’s he gonna do? I never would’ve pegged him as a Lemon Drop connoisseur, though- I kind of had him figured for a beer guy. “Butkus”. Hehehehehe.

This is just an awful lot of vitriol to direct at someone who pours booze. So, so bizarre…

Also, I look forward to trying your Douche Bag Cocktail- which apparently you make better than anyone- the next time I’m in. I find most bartender’s use far too much vinegar and it ends up tasting out of balance.

Jamie! Wow looks like you’ve hit the big time dude. Congrats! I always said if I was ever in Vancouver I’d look you up, but now that I have the opportunity to come west you’ve gone south! 😦 Well best of luck to you in all that you do, and maybe our paths will cross one day.

Interesting Martini Sorbet, I’m going to have to try it. I’m on a panel for the The First International Symposium of Cocktail Shaker Collectors at Tales of the Cocktail. I’ll try to get to yours. Thanks for the recipes.

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